Before this I was a red virgin and with everyone sporting reds these days, I felt kinda old fashioned (yes!) and decided to get hold of at-least one red lipstick. To test the waters, I first went for a muted (comparatively!) red.

The colour is a brown red with warm undertones. Think office red. Nothing loud here. A single swipe is all you need is to get the colour in the tube. It has got a slight hint of golden shimmer in it which is not visible at all, you get to see is the shine but not the shimmer. Two swipe and it turns into an intense night red. I’ve seen girls with fair skin as well as tan skin carrying it with ease, so it can suit everyone with a warm tone. Of all the reds I have, this one suits me the best.

I usually associate shine with sheer but this one has the shine without the sheerness, you got me?! They are insanely creamy and moisturising like all the shades in this range. It isn’t named “moisture extreme” for nothing. As for the staying power, it doesn’t stay for long, may be 3hours if I’m lucky. Althought the colour wears off in around 2hours, it leaves a subtle red stain behind.

Apply it with a very light hand and it makes my lips look natural red. Here I’m wearing it lightly.

Price: Rs.225 ($4-5)Availability: online and at every maybelline counter

So is it for you? Yes if you are scared of bright reds and want to measure the waters first with warm brown red. It doesn’t look OTT and can double up as a day and night time shade depending on how you wear it. They are moisturizing so you can skip the lip balm. But the staying power is a pet peeve.

PPS- A lot of people have complaints aginst this particular range of Maybelline that these lipsticks get fungus easily. I’ve not experienced that yet *touch wood*! But I’m not likely to repurchase them until they improve upon it.

Founder and Editor-in-chief, VNA. When she is not moonlighting as the editor, you can find her watching american sitcoms and movies. She is a huge lover of literature, instagram, snapchat and food and could possibly be more passionate about these than makeup!